X Marks The Spot
by Shadystar
Summary: Red X realizes that he can't continue his life of crime forever. But before he retires for good, X decides to do one more job; his most challenging task yet. Also, Terra is back on the team. Story takes place after 'Trouble in Tokyo'. Rating may change for future chapters.
1. Chapter 1: Abducted

**So I know there are several stories on here where Red X kidnaps Raven, but this is my own twist on it and I haven't seen this particular motive yet (from the one's I've read so far). I just think they both have sarcastic and strong/stubborn personalities and it would be funny if they had lots of back and forth quips. I know the title sounds a little cliche, but I couldn't think of a better one that describes this story.**

****Just so you know, this story probably isn't going to have much fighting/action. There may be some in the future chapters, but haven't gotten that far yet. So far I just know there is going to be comedy, some fluff, and occasional hurt/comfort here and there. But don't quote me on that because the future of this story can always change.****

**This story also contains a little bit about my personal theories on some of the unanswered questions left over from the show (i.e. how Terra came back to life and Red X's identity). The Terra part isn't particularly important to the plot, just mostly explaining how she's back on the team in this story and pick up where the series/movie left off (she may be referenced later in the story).**

**I have so many unfinished stories and**** was going to wait to post this after I finished my first story (The Odd Couple); but since I already have a bunch of unfinished stories out now, why not another? I've been working on this plot for a while (since before the summer), but was just trying to figure out where I wanted to go with it. **

**Right now the story is rated T, but might change later for future chapters.**

**Disclaimer: To whom it may concern, I do not own Teen Titans. **

**Please read, review, and enjoy.**

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><p><span>Chapter 1: Abducted<span>

**2 years ago (background):**

The Titans had just returned to the tower from their mission/ vacation in Tokyo when they came home to a pleasant surprise waiting for them in the ops room.

"Finally, I was starting to think that you guys moved."

It was Terra. When Terra was revived she found out she didn't have her Earth manipulation powers anymore. Terra had assumed that it took all her powers to stop Slade, which was what probably lead to the lingering effects of her final attempt to fade; consequently bringing her back to life. She saw this as an opportunity to finally have a normal life. With nowhere else to go, Terra applied for a scholarship at a local private school, Murakami High. The scholarship also included room and board with a host family, as long as she maintained at least a 3.5 grade point average. She had tried to return to a normal life after coming back to life from her statue imprisonment; however, after a few weeks of being resurrected her powers had returned.

Terra tried to keep them in control; but, due to the stress of high school and trying to keep her grades up, her powers had gotten the best of her. The stress of keeping her powers a secret from her teachers and classmates got to her as well. As she noticed her grades started to slip, small earthquakes started happening frequently on school grounds. The administrators were starting to get suspicious seeing as the school was nowhere near a fault line, and there was no report of other nearby residences noticing anything. Terra decided that it was best for her to surrender her scholarship and leave school, before she destroyed the school or seriously hurt somebody.

While she tried to forget all it, of course Terra remembered living with the Titans. It was the best time of her life; the only place that ever truly felt like home. But, until Beast Boy visited her shortly before her powers returned, she thought there was no way they would accept her back as a teammate. Not after she betrayed them. But Beast Boy's persistence showed her differently. He revealed that since she sacrificed herself to save the rest of the team, they had forgiven her and apparently even tried looking for ways to bring her back to life.

Of course, at the time Beast Boy spoke to her, she no longer had her powers- so what was the point in returning? She thought it would be easier on everyone to just pretend like nothing before her revival ever happened. After all, it was her only shot at a normal life. But when she regained her powers and left school, she knew that there was a chance she could go back to the Titans.

Unfortunately, at the time she chose to do so, the Titans had gone on a mission to Tokyo. Terra still remembered the security codes to get into the tower, which she used to help herself in. Since she used the codes instead of breaking in, Cyborgs security system didn't pick up on it. She still was afraid of if they really would accept her. Nevertheless, when they returned home they were happy to see her. She was welcomed back into the team, especially by Beast Boy.

Terra was relieved that her friends accepted her back with open arms and was glad that not much had changed; aside from the fact that Robin and Starfire were officially a couple- which she already suspected would happen eventually. Beast Boy and Terra resumed dating.

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><p><span><strong>Present:<strong>

It was a little bit after 4:30am; most of the Titans were still asleep, until…

"Titans, Trouble!" Robin called over the intercom from the ops room as he sounded the alarm, waking up all the slumbering Titans.

Everyone jumped out of their bed and ran into the ops room. They all seemed to be talking over each other upon their entry in the room.

"Robin, what is the matter?" Starfire questioned.

"What's going on?" Terra asked alarmed.

"What time is it?" Beast Boy complained with a yawn in his voice, still half asleep.

"Where's Raven?" Cyborg inquired with concern when he noticed one teammate was missing.

"That's the trouble." Robin said addressing Cyborgs question. "I woke up early to prepare the obstacle course for this morning's training session when I heard a scream coming from Raven's room. I knocked but there was no answer. So I opened the door to check on her and she was gone!" The leader informed his team.

"Raven has gone missing?" Starfire asked in disbelief.

"Affirmative." Robin confirmed. "I've checked all the security cameras on the island and she's nowhere in sight. I believe she may have been abducted."

"What?" Beast Boy asked as he was finally fully awake.

"Are you sure? She may have just gone to the mainland to meditate." Terra considered.

"Yeah, it's still dark out and most of the town's asleep." Cyborg supported Terra's hypothesis. "You know how much she likes the dark and quiet."

"I reviewed the surveillance footage and there is no trace of her leaving." Robin established. "No sign of anything."

"Do you think she could have been abducted by ghost aliens?" Beast Boy asked. "Maybe they want to steal her DNA and make a new half demon, half human, half ghost, and half alien race?" He suggested another one of his crazy ideas, mostly because he had just woken up and was still adjusting to reality.

Starfire shot the changeling a disapproving look.

"You do realize that I am an alien, do you not?" She reminded the shape shifter.

Robin also shot a disapproving expression in Beast Boy's direction. A blush swept the green boy's cheeks; embarrassed by offending Starfire and he decided to change the subject with another theory.

"Uh, what I meant to say was: Do you think Raven could have had a bad dream that caused her to lose control of her powers; causing one of her inner demons to attack her and send her to another dimension?" Beast Boy withdrew his previous suggestion.

Thought his new suggestion would have sounded crazy to most people, the new theory was actually more reasonable sounding to this group. In fact, something similar had happened once before when Raven saw a scary movie.

"It's possible, but nothing in her room was out place." Robin informed the changeling. "Usually when she loses control of her powers it causes chaos and destruction. Besides, Raven's a fighter. If her inner demons didn't cause chaos and destruction during a struggle, she would have."

"But no one could have gotten into the tower without setting off an alarm and you said you didn't see anything on the camera." Cyborg clarified.

"Unless they hacked the system or knew the security code." Robin countered.

"That still doesn't explain how you didn't see anyone on the surveillance video." Terra rationalized. "Do you really think whoever took her has the power of invisibility?"

"And teleportation." Robin established.

"Robin, you do not suppose it was…" Starfire trailed off, seeing Robin nod with a glowered expression.

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><p>Raven was waking up, feeling a bit groggy. She started to remember a weird dream she had about being woken up from a pressured feeling over her nose and mouth and seeing a shadow person covering her mouth with a damp cloth while she was trying to shout her spell mantra to pin them against the wall before a sensation of lethargy fell upon her and she passed out.<p>

Raven now woke up to a dark room alone, but the glimpse of light coming from the window reviled unfamiliar details in the room. Raven gasped in shock, when she realized this wasn't her room and that her weird dream was most likely not a dream. She quickly sat up to observe her new surrounding when she felt a dull burning sensation in her chest.

'Am I having a heart attack?' she thought to herself 'Why aren't my powers going out of control?' she continued her thought before the door in the room started to open.

"Good morning, Starshine." The familiar satirical voice said as he slightly increased the lighting with the dimmer switch by the door.


	2. Chapter 2: Wake Up Call

**Thanks for the review, though most of it had nothing to do with an opinion on the story- but hey, its a review nonetheless (kind of) and I like reviews *hint hint*.**

**Disclaimer: Contrary to popular belief, I do not own teen titans or waffles.**

**Please read, enjoy, and review.**

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><p><span>Chapter 2: Wake Up Call<span>

"Red X, what did you do to me?" Raven asked when she saw him standing in her doorway. She was still gathering her thoughts as she clutched the pain in her chest that was causing her major discomfort.

"Relax. It wasn't that much; especially considering you're part demon." Red X attempted and failed to comfort her as he sat at the foot of her bed.

"You drugged me?" Raven accusingly asked the masked thief.

"It was the only way I could make sure you wouldn't use your powers to annihilate me on the spot." Red X rationalized in a calm voice.

"What did you use?!" Raven demanded to know, not caring if she lost control of her powers out of fear that he had poisoned her.

"Don't worry, it was just a sedative. A new creation Dr. Chang cooked up." Red X answered before adding: "He owed me a favor."

"How long was I out for?" Raven asked, slightly calming down when she realized the burning sensation in her chest was probably just a mild side effect from whatever he used and possibly affected her powers temporarily.

"About 2 hours; give or take." He replied casually.

"Why?" Raven asked.

"Well, since you are part demon, I had to make sure I used enough to …" Red X tried to explain, when Raven cut him off.

"No, I meant 'why did you take me'?" Raven rolled her eyes, wanting to cut to the chase; knowing that Red X loved playing mind games with people.

"Oh, that." Red X replied as if he didn't know; though Raven knew this was just another one of his stalling strategies. "Well, you see…" he started off before he realized something. "Actually, how about I tell you over breakfast."

"What?" The demon hybrid asked in disbelief of her captor's nonchalant attitude.

"It's already on the table." X informed her. "I was just waiting for you to wake up."

"Are you serious?" Raven scoffed. "Like I would eat anything you've cooked. For all I know, you're probably a worse cook than I am."

"Hey, I'll have you know that I just so happen to be a great cook." The criminal defended himself.

"How would I know that you didn't poison it?" She countered.

"Do you really think that badly of me?" He asked.

"You just admitted to drugging me!" The hybrid retorted.

"Drugging someone and poisoning someone are two completely different things." The masked criminal reminded her indifferently. "Now, come on; before your breakfast gets cold."

"I'm not going anywhere with you!" The sorceress argued.

"Suit yourself." The masked captor responded calmly. "But if you change your mind, I'll be down stairs."

He left her room and closed the door behind him to give her some privacy.

Raven tried to calm herself down. She tried to meditate and channel her soul-self to find a way out; but the pain in her chest was too distracting for her to concentrate. She still didn't know why everything around her wasn't breaking. Over the years she had learned to better control her powers, but not this well. Since she was currently a nervous wreck, she was starting to think the pain in her chest was a panic attack from the shock of everything. In fact, if it wasn't for the pain, she would think this was just some weird dream; since nothing was making sense.

After a few minutes of failed meditation, Raven walked over to her bedroom window, which was currently covered, to try to plan her escape. She moved the curtain, but since it was still relatively early in the morning, she could only see a thick fog. Normally Raven would enjoy the calm of the morning fog; however, today the only thing on her mind was how to escape. She tried to open the window, but it was stuck. She tried once more to summon her powers, to open the window; but nothing happened.

This whole situation was giving Raven a migraine. 1) Though it was slowly dulling, she was in pain. 2) She had been kidnapped by her teams arch enemy. 3) She had no idea where she was. 4) Though she was in pain, scared, and confused; her powers weren't going out of control as they normally did in these situations. 5) On top of everything, she couldn't find her T-communicator to call her teammates.

Raven decided the best course of action would be to check out the rest of her prison. She took a few deep breaths to numb what was left of the dulled pain in her chest before she got out of her bed and into the hallway, across the hall she saw a staircase and walked down it.

The stairs lead to a large living room. Raven tried to sneak out the front door; but to her dismay it was locked and needed a key to open it. She decided to turn around to get a better look at her surroundings to find another exit.

One of the walls had a large built-in library shelf that took up the whole wall. Several of the top shelves contained books, while other shelves contained DVD's. In the middle of the room there was a long L-shaped couch with a matching ottoman, facing a fireplace with a big flat screen TV placed above it. Raven walked to a covered window across the room. She tried to open it, but found that similarly to the window to her room upstairs, the living room window was stuck.

Raven walked further in the room, and saw Red X in a dining area, eating his breakfast at a small wooden dining table with the bottom of his mask folded up, exposing his mouth. After hearing a low growl coming from her stomach, the young woman reluctantly walked over to the table.

When Red X saw the sorceress walk his way, he pulled the bottom of his mask down before he stood up and walked over to the chair across from him to hold it out for her.

"I can pull out my own chair, you know." Raven stated as she sat down and scooted herself in.

"Just trying to be courteous." The masked gentleman replied as he returned to his chair.

"Being chivalrous to your captive?" The girl asked sarcastically "Did you read that in 'Abductor's Etiquette Weekly'?"

"Of course not; everyone knows it's a monthly publication." Red X bantered back with a cocky smile on his face that was covered by his mask.

"Of course, how silly of me." Raven responded in her classic monotone voice as she rolled her eyes at his comeback.

"You could at least say 'thank you', you know." He said before he lifted his mask again to take a sip of his orange juice and brought the mask down again.

"Sorry, I must have missed that article in 'Hostage Protocol Daily'." The demoness countered.

"While I do admire your commitment to the bit, these kidnapping jokes are getting old." The man with the skull mask responded flatly. "Just dig in before your food gets cold."

Raven looked down at her plate and saw a short stack of homemade waffles with a side of bacon; next to a glass of orange juice. Raven tried to resist the breakfast, but the Titans had a long mission the night before. They were all too tired to cook and all the restaurants in town were closed. Since they had early training in the morning, they all just went to bed without dinner. Raven reluctantly cut into the short stack and took a bite of the waffles. To her surprise, it was delicious. Of course, she wouldn't let her captor know that.

"So what do you think?" The masked male asked.

"It's not the worst thing I've ever eaten." The hungry female responded before she took another bite.

"I'm guessing that's the closest thing to a compliment I'm going to get out of you." Red X sighed.

"You've guessed correctly." She responded. "So now will you finally tell me the meaning of all this?"

"Well, it's like this." He started. "I've realized that I can't keep living this way forever. Eventually, I'll get old and my athletic ability will decrease, then I'd most likely get caught and have to spend the rest of my days behind a jail cell. Do you know what they do with good-looking petty thieves like me in prison?" A cocky Red X asked rhetorically.

"So you're having some kind of early midlife crisis and you're afraid of becoming a bigger, uglier, higher ranking prisoner's girlfriend?" Raven stated in her natural monotone with a slightly raised eyebrow.

Red X shrugged at her summarization.

"Truth be told, the adrenaline rush from stealing just isn't what it used to be. The rewards aren't worth the risks anymore." Red X clarified.

"So the petty thief does have a conscious?" The dark sorceress asked sarcastically.

"I guess so." The thief mused with a chuckle in his voice.

"Except for the fact that you lost the rush of taking things and now you've apparently decided to move on to taking people." Raven accused.

"No. I'm planning on retiring from crime all together, after one last job." Red X explained to the abducted Titan.

"Let me guess: you want something and you're holding me hostage until the Titans meet all of your demands." She deduced totally unfazed; the Titans have been used as bargaining chips in hostage wars before.

"I'm not holding you hostage. When I see something I want I take it, I don't negotiate. I'm a thief, not a lawyer." The thief stated, as if he were insulted that she compared him to a lawyer.

"No negotiation and no ransom?" Raven asked confused. "Then what do you need me for?"

"You're a very important part of my plan." He simply responded.

"And how exactly is abducting me going to help you quit committing crimes?" She questioned.

"I'm already halfway to getting what I want. Trust me; abducting you was the easy part." Red X boasted.

Raven mentally scoffed at the thief using the phrase 'trust me' before her curiosity got the better of her.

"So what exactly is it you're after?" Raven pondered.

"Simple." Red X declared in a direct tone. "Your heart."

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><p><strong>*Dun Dun Duuunnn...*<strong>


	3. Chapter 3: Matters of The Heart

**Thanks for the reviews. Yeah, I guess I did get a little caught up in trying to emulate Raven and Red X's quick witted/straightforward personalities that the story went a little faster than I intended it to (I actually did consider that before I posted). But after this chapter the story will slow down a little bit for a while (as far as plot goes).**

**I explained the Terra thing more as a framing device for some background information on how she got back on the team instead of just starting the story with the alert waking everyone up and the reader being "What? Why's Terra on the team? How did she get back on the team?" or thinking this took place when she first joined the team instead of where the series/movie left off.**

** I also wanted the rest of the story to focus mainly on Raven and Red X (didn't want too many back and forth scenes between them and the Titans), but they may reference her and the other Titans occasionally in future chapters and I didn't want to potentially slow the flow of the story down by having to explain everything later; but that's just me.**

**Keep the reviews coming!**

**Disclaimer: I don't know who keeps starting these rumors; but I don't own Teen Titans.**

**Please R&R and enjoy.**

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><p><span>Chapter 3: Matters of The Heart<span>

"I guess I should have known something like this was going to happen sooner or later." Raven stated, still clutching the pain in her chest; which was acting up again.

"Yeah, I thought so, too; and here I thought you were the smart Titan." Red X stated satirically before lifting his mask for a second to take the last bite from his plate.

"So how much does a half-demon heart go for on the black market these days?" Raven asked sternly, ignoring his comment.

"I'm guessing not as much as a full demon heart." Red X automatically replied without much thought, as he casually put his empty glass on his empty plate and pushed it to the side.

"No, seriously. How much is enough for you to be able to retire after crossing over from trivial jewelry heists to murder and dealing in demonic organs on the black market?" Raven asked trying to control her emotions as best she could.

"You and the Boy Blunder take everything way too seriously." Red X sighed under his breath before continuing. "I didn't mean I was literally after your heart. I meant that _you_ are what I'm after."

"So what, are you're kidnapping me to be some kind of sex slave?" Raven asked with venom in her voice, trying to channel her powers.

"You've got it all wrong." The masked man sighed again, pinching the bridge of his nose with his fingertips to think of how to word everything before he continued. "Everything I take calls out to me, it wants me to take it. I never take anything that doesn't want me to take it. I'm not going to force myself on you and I'm not going to force you to do anything you don't want to do."

"For the record, I never asked to be taken." The hostage pointed out. "Yet, you sneaked into my room in the middle of the night, drugged me with Azar-knows-what. Which, by the way, is probably causing me to suffer from prolonged heart failure as we speak; before you abducted of which was against my will." She reminded her kidnapper before drinking some orange juice.

"Again, you're taking everything too literally, Starshine." The abductor explained. "What I take doesn't actually call out to me, I'm not insane. I meant it figuratively. When I see something I want to take, I feel a magnetic pull. It's like there's an energy gravitating me towards it; begging me to take it."

As strange as it sounded, Raven kind of understood what he meant; she felt the same way when it came to reading people. Everyone's emotions would gravitate towards her and she eventually had to learn how to build up an invisible emotional barrier to block them out; but, of course, she wasn't going to share that with her captor. After a moment of awkward silence, while taking some more bites of her breakfast, she decided to change the subject.

"Why do you keep calling me 'Starshine'? Are you sure I'm the one you were after?" Raven reluctantly asked, instantly feeling guilty for insinuating that he should have kidnapped one of her friends instead of her.

"Yes, I'm sure." Red X insisted. "I guess I just like coming up with nicknames for people. I was thinking of calling you 'Sunshine' because of your sunny disposition." He stated in his native language of sarcasm. "But I figured you were more of a night person and 'Moonshine' just seemed distasteful. Why, you don't like it?"

"It's a little weird. That's what Robin calls Starfire when they're being all lovey-dovey." Raven informed her captor before she took another bite of her meal.

"If you want, I can go back to 'Sunshine'." He offered.

"I'd rather you didn't." She specified. "That's what that space bigot Val-Yor used to call me, before we knew he was calling Starfire a prejudice alien term."

"Okay. Well, what about 'Rave'?" The masked man proposed. "Or 'Rae'?"

"No! I don't even like it when my actual friends call me that." The sorceress lied.

The truth was, after getting used to it, she actually didn't mind it when they called her Rave or Rae; but she didn't want anyone else to know that because she wanted everyone to take her seriously. While she didn't fight it as much as she used to when they first tried to use her nicknames, she didn't necessarily flat out tell them to call her by her nicknames either.

"How about 'Little Bird'?" He inquired.

"How about 'no'." She countered flatly as she finished the last of her waffles.

"Then what do you want me to call you?" Red X asked.

"Oh, I don't know. How about… Raven?" She mockingly suggested before she took the last sip of her juice.

"I guess it will suffice, for now." He replied, mostly to get on her nerves.

Raven raised an eyebrow as Red X stood up and took both their dishes.

"You're that determined to give me a nickname?" Raven asked slightly annoyed.

"You got it, Sugar Lips." Red X confirmed.

"That's almost as bad as 'Moonshine'." The empath commented.

Red X smirked under his mask as he walked into the kitchen to set the plates in the sink and came back shortly after to return to his seat.

"I suppose it's time we address the elephant in the room." The antihero announced.

"More like a herd." Raven muttered under her breath, Red X ignored it.

"So here's the deal, Baby doll..." He started to explain before he was interrupted.

"No!" She rejected his newest nickname for her.

"As I was saying…" He continued, moving on from her protest. "All I'm asking for is a month."

"A month for what?" The heroine asked confused.

"I want you to stay here with me for one month." The criminal specified. "Give me a chance to show you the real me."

"You do realize that I can't know the real you unless you show me your face, right?" She asked wryly.

"I know I'll have to show you eventually." Red X agreed. "But not yet."

"Why not?" Raven asked. "Are you disfigured or old? Or are you just afraid that I won't be attracted to you?" She taunted; the Titans have been trying to figure out what Red X really looks like for years.

"Far from it." Red insisted with the sound of a cocky smile in his voice. "I just want to make sure you like me for me and not only based on my appearance. After all, there is much more to me than my charmingly devilish good looks."

"Of course, there is." Raven agreed. "There's also your massive ego."

"I thought women like confident men." The convict countered.

"There's a difference between being confident and being cocky." The dark sorceress said in a bored tone.

"We're getting way off base here." Red X stated. "So what I'm saying is: If you stay here with me for one month, I'll give up my life of crime and reveal my identity to you."

"And all I have to do is stay here?" Raven inquired cautiously "I don't have to… do anything else."

"Well, you would need to interact with me at meals and cooperate in some of the activities I have planned for us. And it wouldn't kill you to smile once in a while." X stalled before he got to the point. "But, if you're asking if you have to do anything sexual, then no." He promised. "Unless, of course, you can't help yourself and really want to."

"I won't." The demoness quickly insisted.

"Well, if you ever change your mind, I'm always prepared." He said as he noticeably patted a compartment in his utility built.

"I so did not need to know that." She muttered trying to avoid eye contact with Red X before she spoke up. "What if I refuse to stay?"

"Then maybe I'll just continue my crime spree." The outlaw said nonchalantly "Who knows, perhaps I will cross the line from petty thief to serial killer after all. Of course, neither the JCPD nor the Titans have ever been able to catch me; so who knows how many murders I can get away with."

"Are you really that pathetic?" Raven asked rhetorically.

"Unrequited love can do crazy things to a man." The masked man stated.

"I don't think you're capable of loving someone." The empath bluntly stated, "In fact, I don't think either of us is capable of loving anyone."

"Is that a challenge?" X asked, with a raised eyebrow under his mask. "You're underestimating the both of us."

"So if I willingly stay here with you for the rest of the month, regardless of what happens in the end, you will give up crime?" The demoness got back to the issue at hand.

"You got it, Sweetness." The anti-hero promised.

Raven shot him a disapproving look at his newest term of endearment.

"What happens if I try to run away?" She asked curiously.

"Trust me, you won't." He said in an aloof manner.

"You're that sure of yourself?" She mocked.

"Yes, but I meant you can't run away." The criminal started to explain. "This cabin is a time-share. It's on a man-made island over 40 miles away from the nearest shore. The only way to get here is by a ferry that I have to call. I've reserved the island for the rest of the month and requested that we not be disturbed. I even tipped the cleaning people extra to not come out until after we leave."

"Clever, but you seem to be forgetting one thing." Raven criticized. "You forgot that I can fly."

"And you seem to be forgetting that, unlike most of the villains the Titans fight, I've never been caught." The criminal master mind pointed out. "That's because my plans are fully baked to perfection before executed."

"Some plan." Raven challenged. "So far all you've done is sedate me and brought me to a private island in hopes that Stockholm syndrome kicks in enough to make me fall madly in love with you in 30 days or less."

"Geez, when you put it like that, you make me sound crazy." Red X countered in a mocking tone.

"Everything about this situation is crazy." The empath bluntly stated.

"You also make it sound like I didn't put much thought into this." Red said defensively. "I'll have you know this took a lot of planning and effort to put together."

"I'm sure it did." Raven patronized. "And if this were preschool, you'd get a gold sticker for trying. Unfortunately, in the real world, effort only goes so far."

"True." The fugitive considered. "But, well thought out plans are what makes the effort worth it."

"And just how do you plan on stopping me from leaving?" The heroine asked.

"Remember that pain in your chest?" The masked captor seemed to be changing the subject.

"It's hard to forget, since it's never fully gone away." The captive responded, the pain had been dulling to the point where it was just barely tolerable, but it never fully disappeared. "Once I'm done with you and get my hands on Dr. Chang, I'll wring his neck."

"While I personally think it's hot when you're angry and want to choke someone..." Red X started to say "The truth is that pain wasn't from the sedative."

"What?" She asked.

"The pain was actually caused by another favor I called in from Mumbo." He informed his captive.

"Just how many villains owe you favors anyway?" The captive inquired.

"A lot, actually." The antihero bragged. "That's what happens when you're an elusive escape artist and criminal mastermind."

"So what, you called in a favor to make Mumbo give me a persistent mild heart attack?" The heroine asked; confused by his 'plan'.

"No, the pain is just a side effect; he said it would wear off after a few hours." The masked man informed her.

"A side effect from what, exactly?" The captive asked.

"Mumbo used a spell to help me suppress your demonic side." He clarified. "The pain's from the holy water he used to bind the spell on it to control your inner demon. He said the pain will subside after a few hours."

"A spell on what?!" Raven was growing impatient with him leaving out details.

"Look for yourself." Red X said as he gestured to the location of the pain.

Raven reluctantly stretched out her collar and looked down at the source of the pain, a glowing red mark in the shape of an X just above her left breast.

"You felt me up while I was passed out?!" Raven shouted, feeling violated.

"Why do you always assume the worst in me?" Red X asked before he explained. "I didn't fondle you, grope you, or do anything perverted while you were out. Mumbo's instructions where to place it over your heart and that's what I did."

"Is it permanent?" Raven asked, knowing that by suppressing her demonic side that her powers wouldn't work.

"No, there's a solvent that will take it off and bring back your powers within a few hours." He enlightened his captive.

"Give it to me, now!" She practically growled through clenched teeth.

"I can't." Red X said. "It's not here."

"Where is it?" Raven was losing her patience.

"In a safety deposit box on the mainland." He assured her.

Raven silently stared at him with amethyst eyes full of rage, something she wasn't used to fully expressing before due to her powers, for a few moments before her face relaxed and she lightly chuckled under her breath.

"What's so funny?" The man with the skull mask asked.

"There's something else you forgot about in your little plan." The captive said with a smirk on her face.

"And what would that be?" Her captor played along.

"Once my friends notice I'm gone, they'll come looking for me." She said with assurance.

"That's the part of my plan that I need your help with." He admitted. "I need you to call the Titans to tell them that you're safe."

"But I'm not safe; I'm alone on an island with you." She countered sourly.

"Think what you want, Raven; but the truth is you know I would never hurt you." Red X insisted.

"Really?" The decommissioned demoness challenged as she gestured to where the painful covered mark on her chest beneath her uniform was.

Red X sighed; as much as he loved back and forth bantering, it was exhausting after a while.

"Just tell them you're okay and to not go looking for you." He almost sounded like he was begging.

"They won't listen to me." The empath admitted.

"They will if you tell them that I'll give up all criminal activity after this." The anti-hero tried to convince her.

"You do realize that even if you do promise to go straight after all this is said and done, you still won't be off the hook for your past offenses and you'll still have to face the consequences of abducting me." The heroine pointed out.

"You just leave that to me." The con man proclaimed.

"Another one of your contingency plans?" The sorceress asked in a sarcastic tone.

The skull masked man just shrugged.

"I know people." He simply stated.

"Of course you do." Raven sighed; it irritated her when criminals got off with nothing more than a slap on the wrist because they have connections. "The truth is I couldn't call them even if I wanted to." She admitted. "I didn't have my T-communicator on me when you took me; that's the only way to contact them."

Red X pulled out the yellow communication device from one of the compartments on his belt and placed it on the table.

"It was on your nightstand, I figured it would come in handy." The criminal explained.

"I'm surprised they haven't found us already." The empath mentioned suspiciously.

"I took out the tracking device before I sedated you." Red X informed his hostage. "I know Chuckles likes to keep close tabs on the whereabouts of all the Titans; particularly the females."

"Only you would twist things around to try to make my friends sound like the psychotic stalkers." Raven retorted.

"Are you going to make the call or not?" The captor was growing impatient.

"I never gave my answer." The captive reminded her captor "And I never said I was staying with you."

"You never said you weren't." He countered.

"I'd rather die a slow and painful death than spend a month with you." The hostage vowed.

"Would you let hundreds of innocent people, possibly even your friends, be murdered because you refused to spend a few weeks with me?" The outlaw asked.

"You'd never do it." The empath called his bluff. "It's not your MO. You may be a petty thief, but you're not pathetic enough to kill someone; at least not someone you don't have a personal vendetta against."

"Try me." The masked fugitive challenged, lifting the communicator from the table and handing it to her.


	4. Chapter 4: Solo Mission

**Thanks for the reviews. I promise that question (Why X picked Raven), plus many more, will be answered throughout the story. We're in the process of moving out of state, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to update next, but will try to update this soon (as well as my many other unfinished stories).**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Teen Titans.**

**Please read, review, and enjoy.**

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><p><span>Chapter 4: Solo Mission<span>

**Back in Jump City:**

"Status report." Robin ordered as the Titans reunited at the rendezvous point.

Shortly after finding out about Raven's disappearance, the Titans have been searching every place they can think of where their abducted friend and their possible suspect could be. Since they couldn't seem to get a hold of her on the T-communicator or even track her, they weren't even sure if she had it on her and were too afraid to look in her room out of fear that, when she returned, she would get angry at them for going in her room. So the Titans split up into search teams (with the exception of Cyborg, who searched solo) and checked in every so often.

"No sign of Raven in the mountains." Beast Boy reported, with Terra by his side.

"No sign of her in the cemetery." Cyborg announced.

"And she was not at her favorite depressing café." Starfire spoke for Robin and herself.

"We've checked all of her favorite hang outs, all of Red X's known hide outs, and everywhere in between in Jump City for the past 3 hours." Robin sighed in frustration.

"Are you sure Red X took her?" Terra asked. "Maybe it was someone else; like Control Freak or Slade?"

"Control Freak's not that stealthy." Beast Boy reminded his girlfriend.

"And I doubt Slade would try to target Raven after we defeated Trigon." Robin added.

"And no other villain has the brains or the technology to hack into the tower's security system." Cyborg concluded.

"Maybe we're overlooking something." Terra suggested; "Did she mention anything to anyone about going somewhere; like a trip out of town?"

Though everyone welcomed Terra back into the team, Raven still hadn't seemed to come around fully to confiding in Terra. Everyone shook their head, not remembering Raven mentioning anything about leaving.

"Wait, that's it!" Robin realized. "Just because Red X took her doesn't necessarily mean that they're still in Jump City."

"Perhaps we should call for the back up." Starfire suggested.

"Yeah, like the Titan's East." Cyborg supported. "She might be in Steel City."

"Or Keystone City." Beast Boy added.

"I'll contact Bumblebee." Robin stated. "Beast Boy, you get a hold of Kid Flash. Cyborg, call Herald. Starfire and Terra, call Argent and-"

Suddenly Robin's T-communicator went off. All the Titans hovered close as their leader eagerly opened his communicator to reveal a familiar person on the screen.

"Raven!" Everyone shouted excitedly, happy to see their missing friend.

"Did you miss me?" Raven asked in a flat tone, trying to stall.

Several of her friends couldn't help but to bombard her with comments and questions; causing their commentaries to overshadow each other's.

"Only a whole bunch!" Beast Boy shouted. "We checked all over the city looking for you..."

"We have been doing the searching all morning." Starfire informed her friend. "For some reason, we could not track your communication device..."

"Why haven't you been answering your communicator?" A worried Cyborg questioned. "Are you okay?"

"Where did you go?" Terra inquired. "Are you alone?"

Raven couldn't really hear what they were saying, since everyone was overlapping one another.

"One at a time." Raven interrupted everyone's rants.

"Raven, where are you?" Robin finally asked.

"I'm not sure, exactly." She replied. "I just know it's a cabin on a manmade island about 40 miles from the nearest shore."

"Are you lost?" Starfire asked. "Perhaps if you retrace your path you can find your way home."

"It's not that simple, Starfire." The dark sorceress on the communicator sighed.

"Raven, what's wrong?" Terra inquired.

"I can't fly." The empath finally disclosed. "He took all my powers."

"Who took your powers?" Beast Boy asked.

"Red X." Robin answered for his teammate.

"Robin, for the last time: Red X didn't-" Terra started to say before Raven interrupted her.

"He's right." Raven defended her leader "It was Red X."

"I knew only he would have the nerve to do something like this." Robin muttered.

"Don't worry, Rae." Cyborg tried to calm his friend. "We'll split up again and continue our search by sea. You'll be back home in no time."

"You can't!" Raven insisted, not wanting her friends to endanger themselves.

"Is there something you are not telling us?" Starfire inquired.

"Red X promised that he won't hurt anyone." Raven reassured her friends "I just need to stay here with him for a month."

"That's ridiculous!" Robin shouted. "Don't you realize he's probably going to try to-?"

"He said that he won't force me to do anything I don't want to do… Aside from being here to begin with." The absent Titan informed her teammates. "Besides, he promised that if I stay here, he will give up crime and reveal his true identity to me."

"Whoa." Beast Boy said in awe.

"You can't trust him!" Robin tried to remind her. "It's got to be a trap."

"Something doesn't seem right." Terra thought for a moment. "Raven wouldn't just willingly spend a month with anyone, much less someone she hates, unless something serious was going on."

"Is there something else you are not telling us?" Starfire enquirer.

Raven sighed. She didn't want to have to tell her friends about this part because she didn't want them to worry any more than they already had.

"Red X claims that if I don't stay with him for the month that, not only will he not go straight, but that he will supposedly become a serial killer and go after all of you." Raven disclosed.

"He's coercing you to be with him by threatening to kill us?" Cyborg asked.

"Raven, we've faced death threats before." Robin said. "They come with the territory of being a hero."

"Yeah, you don't have to let him pressure you into doing this." Terra agreed. "We can protect ourselves and you."

"He didn't just threaten to go after all of you." Raven clarified. "He was basically talking about a free for all killing spree on the whole town."

"The dude's bluffing." Beast Boy blurted out.

"Beast Boy's right." Cyborg supported his best friend's theory. "The guy's a thief, not a murderer. He's had plenty of opportunities to kill all of us and there's even been sometimes where he's saved us."

"He'd never do it, it's not who he is." Robin agreed. "This is all just a trick."

As much as Robin hated to defend Red X, after years of studying his adversary The Boy Wonder knew, better than anyone else, that the masked thief wouldn't kill anyone.

"Maybe so." Raven somewhat agreed. "But that's not a risk I'm willing to take when it could easily be prevented. Especially, since we've never able to catch him when he was just stealing."

"Even if you do stay, who is to say he will follow through with these promises?" Starfire questioned.

"Exactly." Terra agreed. "How do we know that he really will reveal his identity to you or that he really will go straight?"

"Would a scout's honor suffice?" A familiar disguised male voice said on the other side of the T-communicator asked before he appeared on the screen.

"There is nothing honorable about what you are doing!" Starfire scolded the man with the skull mask.

"Calm down, Cutie." Red X responded casually. "I'll play nice as long as everyone plays by my rules."

"And just what kind of sick game _are_ you playing?" Robin interrogated the abductor.

"This isn't a game, Kid." Red X answered. "I simply decided that I'm getting bored with the monotony of all this superhero/villain stuff. Stealing's no fun when you know you won't get caught. Besides, it's time I started thinking about my future."

"Even if you do renounce your old ways, we can't just forget about your past and especially not this stunt." Cyborg enlightened the criminal. "Either way, at least a part of your future is going to be spent behind bars."

"Just let me worry about that." X replied.

"What do you want with Raven?" Robin asked.

"My intentions with Raven are none of your business." Red retorted in a sharp tone.

"If you dare touch her, I swear I'll-" Cyborg, who saw Raven as his little sister, started to say before he was interrupted.

"I can assure you that I won't touch Raven..." The masked criminal vowed. "Until she wants me to."

"So that will be never." Raven muttered in the background.

Red X shot what was most likely a disapproving look at Raven; but no one could be sure since his face was covered. Raven just glared back at him with a mocking glare.

"As I was saying…" The criminal continued. "I will keep Raven safe and after 30 days she'll be free to return to you; if she chooses."

"What do you mean by 'if she chooses'?" Starfire asked, suspicious of his intentions.

"What are you going to do, brainwash her?" Beast Boy probed.

"Now where's the fun in that?" X questioned rhetorically. "I prefer more of a challenge."

"She is not a prize to be won." The Tamaranean said with a hint of venom in her voice.

"Rave, you don't have to do this!" The changeling pleaded.

"We won't let you do this, Rae." The cybernetic organism demanded.

"She's not a child." The man in the skull mask countered. "She's a grown woman who is fully capable of making her own decisions."

Everyone fell silent, waiting to hear Raven's final decision.

"Don't worry." She said trying to force a weak smile on her face. "I'll be fine."

"What?!" Starfire and Terra exclaimed in unison.

"I said 'I'll be fine'." Raven reiterated. "Besides, I wouldn't be much help to the team right now; not while I'm without my powers. Anyways, just think of this as a solo mission."

"You can't be serious!" The Boy Wonder protested.

"She's made up her mind, Chuckles." The captor stated. "And if all of you really are her _friends_, then you'll respect her wishes."

"You coerced her!" Robin retorted.

"I gave her options and she made a choice." Red X rephrased. "That's a part of life."

"I swear when we find you, Red X, we'll-." Robin shouted over the communicator before he was interrupted.

"Robin, please stop." Raven pleaded. "I can handle this."

"But, Raven-" The Titan's leader objected.

"No buts!" Raven reprimanded her leader. "This is my decision, my mission and I need everyone to stand down."

Raven immediately ended the call.

"Raven?" Robin called out to her. "Raven!"

"Rave?! Rae?!" The rest of the Titans echoed in the background.

"What shall we do now?" Starfire asked her boyfriend.

"Nothing." The Boy Wonder announced, as the other Titans all stared at him in surprise. "She said this was a 'solo mission'. This is a battle she needs to fight alone."

Robin learned a long time ago from his mentor that it's best to keep your emotions separate from your mission. But the former protégé also knew, from experience, that some missions are personal and need to be handled as such.

* * *

><p><strong>Back at the Cabin:<strong>

Raven hung up the communicator and reluctantly handed it over to her captor.

"Nice way to stick it to the little man, babe." Red X commented, while offering his free hand for a high five.

"First of all, I'm not your 'babe'." Raven scolded the masked man, as he dropped his high-fiving hand. "Second, those were my friends and I only did what I had to do to protect them. And third, I'm only here so you will hold up your end of the bargain and reveal your identity to me."

"Admit it, Raven." He tried to say in a soothing voice as he gently lifted her chin up closer to his face with his hand to look in her eyes. "Deep down, there's a part of you that likes me."

"I'll admit, there was a part of me that always respected you." The empath confessed.

"You respect me?" The thief inquired, not expecting to hear anything like that from her.

Raven nodded.

"Because there were times where you could have screwed us over; but, in the end, you decided to help us." The heroine explained. "I thought maybe you weren't all that bad; like under the mask there was someone who was better than what he pretended to be. Someone who thought being good wasn't an option for him, but really just needed a friend to show him that he can be a better person. But now, I'm not even sure if that person ever existed."

Raven broke away from her captor's hold and walked towards the stairs.

"And where do you think you're going?" Red X asked.

"Back to the room." Raven announced.

"Why?" The outlaw asked.

"The only requirement was that I interact with you during meals and the activities you plan for us." The dark sorceress reminded the criminal.

"So?" The masked man asked.

"Did you have any activities planned for us?" She inquired.

"Not today." He confessed. "I just figure we'd talk and try to get to know each other a little better."

"Fine." Raven agreed. "We can talk during lunch and dinner." She started walking up the stairs before she added. "By the way, I prefer tea with most of my meals."

Raven continued to walk up the stairs.

'Winning her over is going to be a lot more challenging than I thought.' The thief thought to himself.


End file.
